When my daughter was a toddler, I couldn’t seem to get her to drink cow’s milk. Every time I would show up at the pediatrician’s office for a check up, he would ask me how much milk she was drinking, and I would have to look at him sheepishly and say-”None”. Then, I would go home and try to invent creative ways for her to be “tricked” into drinking milk.
It wasn’t until I started to do a little research that I discovered what I like to term as “The Milk Misconception”. That is, the popular misconception that all children need calcium in the form of cow’s milk. While it is true that cow’s milk is a very readily available source of calcium for the human body, it is also true that it is often not digested and absorbed properly for the human body. Fact: Milk is the number one allergic food. Fact: Milk loses 50% of its available calcium during pasteurization. Low fat and skim milk make calcium virtually unavailable because fat is necessary for the proper transportation and absorption of calcium. (From Allergies: Disease in Disguise, Dr. Carolee Bateson-Koch DC, ND)
So why then are we still believing that if our children don’t want to drink milk, they won’t be healthy? Because we are told that calcium builds strong bones and is a necessary component in the prevention of osteoporosis. Well, research shows that countries that consume the most dairy, such as Canada and the U.S, have the highest rate of osteoporosis. Nutritionists agree that the best diet to prevent osteoporosis is a low protein, low fat, high complex carbohydrate diet that includes fruit and fresh vegetables, whole grains and fresh raw raw seeds and nuts. Another study suggests that getting adequate amounts of exercise increases bone density and helps to prevent osteoporosis.
My conclusion is this: If you have a child that is refusing to drink milk, you must ask yourself why? Is the child old enough to communicate discomfort they may be feeling after consuming milk? They may have difficulty with milk but not other dairy products such as cheese and yogurt. Don’t force the issue. Take comfort in the fact that there are plenty of other good sources of readily absorbable calcium such as: seeds and rice, sardines and salmon. And if your child doesn’t prove to have any known milk allergies or lactose intolerances, just be patient. Variety is the spice of life! The more variety you provide in their meals, the more likely they are to show willingness to accept new foods in their diet.
In the end, I managed to convince my toddler to start drinking milk by encouraging her to help me make milkshakes. She is 3 years old and had a wonderful time peeling the banana and sorting her favorite berries and adding them to the blender. These simple tasks proved to be the little encouragement she needed to try something new, that just happened to include milk!
Here is her favorite milkshake recipe:
1-1/2 cp organic whole milk (try almond or soy if lactose intolerant)
1 peeled organic banana
5 organic strawberries, fresh or frozen
1/4cp wild blueberries and/or raspberries, fresh or frozen
1 Tbsp maple syrup
Blend together in a blender until smooth. Add more milk if too thick, and enjoy!
